Load and fire mechanism



n vwa/wbcw EDWARD MLU E. WILD LOAD AND FIRE MECHANISM Filed July 30, 1940' Dec. 9, 1941.

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 LOAD AND FIRE MECHANISM Edward Wild, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to` Veeder-Root Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 30, 1940, Serial No. 348,424 Y 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a load and fire mechanism adapted to multiply the movement or power of one part and transmit it to another part.

AAlthough capable of other uses, the load and re mechanism is here shown as used in conjunction with a cutmeter or predetermining counter of the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,159,314, issued May 23, 1939, to Harvey N. Bliss. The counter described in said patent is commonly used on looms and is adapted, after a predetermined yardage of material has been woven,` to operate a plunger and, through a. Bowden control wire, actuate the stop mechanism of the loom. In some instances, the distance of travel of the plunger or the power transmitted is not sufficient to assure positive movement of the control wire, and the loom stop mechanism fails to operate.

One purpose of the load and fire mechanism disclosed herein is to increase both the power transmitted ,by the plunger and the distance of movement of the control wire, thus assuring positive operationof the stop means. Y

Another purpose is a load and fire mechanism which is extremely simple in construction, consists of a minimum number of parts, is positive in operation, and may be readily and inexpensively manufactured.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view of the load and re mechanism embodying the invention herein shown assembled with a cutmeter or predetermining counter;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the load and rire mechanism in red position; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the load and fire mechanism in firing or loaded position.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a cutmeter A of the type disclosed in the abovementioned Bliss patent and including a plunger ID slidable in a bushing II and adapted to be depressed by a trigger I2. Means are provided in the counter for releasing the trigger I2 after a predetermined count has been registered, but as these means form no part of the invention herein andl are fully described in the abovefor rotating the shaft and raisingv indicated Bliss patent, no further reference thereto will be made.

The load and fire mechanism incorporating the invention herein is generally designated aty B and includes a substantially cylindrical open ended casing I4 having a centrally disposed bore I5. The casing is closed at its lower end` bya cap or closure I6 and at its upper end with a threaded opening I8 for `securing it to the threaded bushing II in which the cutmeter plunger I operates.

Mounted within the bore I is a piston 22 of like diameter to a reduced central portion 23 of the bore whereby the piston is maintained in vertical and aligned position. Piston 22 is normally urged to bottom or red position by a heavy firing spring 24 disposed between a ilange 26 on its lower end and a downwardly facing shoulder 28 of the casing bore I5 formed by enlarging the diameter of a lower portion 29v of the bore. The bottom face ofthe piston 22 also has a central opening 22a in which there is secured the end oi a control wire 54, such as the loom stop mechanism. The wire extends through a protective sheathing 56 secured in an opening Ia provided in the cap I6 and transfers the movement of the piston to a remote point while the other end of the wire (not shown) 'is connected, such as the stop mechanism of a loom.

To raise the piston to firing or loading position, it is provided with a rack 30 engageable with a gear .32 mounted on a shaft 34 journalled in the casing I4. The shaft 34 extends outwardly of the casing and carries a wing nut 36 the piston 22 to place the firing spring 24 under compression. When so raised, means are vprovided for releasably maintaining the piston in cocked position; these means comprising a latching plunger 33 slidably mounted in an open top bore in piston 22 and a ball stop 31 seated in an opening 40 extending through the piston wall.

The latching plunger 33 includes a lower portion 4I of like diameter to the bore of the piston and a reduced upper portion 42 connected to the lower portion by a downwardly tapering camming shoulder 44. IThe lower portion 4I is hollowed out to receive a light spring 46 which normally tends to urge the plunger out of the piston. To prevent the plunger from being released from the piston, the stop ball 31 is of a greater diameter than the thickness of the wall of the piston, whereby when the latter is in its tired position the ball will be urged inwardly to overliethe camming shoulder 44 of the plunger and maintain it in its lowermost position.

However, when the piston 22 is moved to firing position, the ball receiving opening 40 will be moved into an enlarged portion 48 of the bore l5 wherein the diameter is such that the shoulder l 44 of the plunger, due to the pressure of spring count. When this occurs, the `trigger l-2 -yvill force the cutmeter plunger ID downwardly, which,

in turn, will force the plunger l39 downwardly.

until the camming shoulder 44 is lowered suinciently to release the ball stop 31, whereuponk the ring spring 24 .will force thepistonfZZ to red position. Y E

I-t obvious fromthe foregoing thatV Iby properlypositioning .the wlatching means within the piston-the Ylengthbf stroke of the piston 22 may bey varied, andby varying. the strengthof the spring-j24 the power ,transmitted ,thereby maybe varied. ,In this manner, any desired' movement of-the control wire or amount of power necessary to be .delivered thereby `may be readily obtained. As many changes could be madeinvthe above construction and manyapparentlywidely different-embodiments of this inventio'nocouldrbe made without .departing from the scope thereof,'it'is`intendedE thatY all matter contained in the above Vdescription or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shallibe interpreted .asillustrative and 'notina lmitingsense. l o

.'ItLis-also to'be understood that the language usedVV in the ,following claims is intendedto cover alloi the generic and specic'ieatures of 'the'inl ventionfherein described and all statementsv of 1 the sc opeof the inventionwhich,.as a matter Yof language, might be said to fall therebetween. I claim asmy'invention: "L ,e v1. In aload and fire mechanismof the; charac- 1 terdescribe'd; acasing, la piston slidably mounted i in theeasi'ng, spring means normally urging the piston 'tofred position, meansfor moving the piston to' ringposition to load the spring, and latchingrmeans including a ball automatically openable' upgon movement ofthe piston toiring positionQSad ball directly engaging and releasably,interlocking said piston and said casing inrinfg position;

Inraloadrandre'mechanism of the character described, acasing, a piston sndabiy mounted in ,the easing, spring means normally urgingthe l piston to `fired position, "andi latching means -includinga 'ball lautomaticallyop'erable'to maintain f the piston in ',ring position upon movement of the piston to ring position, said ball Ydirectly engagingand releasably interlocking said pistongand said .casing in firing position.v

Y 3.4111. afload and nre mechanism of-.the characteridescribed, a casing, a piston slidably mounted in theasing, Vspring means normally urging the piston to'nred position; a latching plunger slid- `a'blymountedin Vthe-piston, spring means nor- Y m-a-llyV urging -the-plungerout of the piston, a -ball 1 engageablewith the plunger for retaining said plunger in the piston f'when ythe latteris in red position, said `ball directly `engaging, and releas- `ably interloclnng .fthe piston .Yin fring position Whenlthel latter is-moved thereto..

'Iii

vv5. In a load and lire mechanism of the character-describedfa casing having a bore therein, said bore having one section of reduced diameter, a piston slidably mounted in said section, spring means normally urging the piston to fired position, af-latching plunger slidably mounted in the piston,-spring means normally urging the plunger out of the piston, stop means for holding the plunger :within the piston when in red position and comprising a ball positioned in an vopening-,in the piston walland overlying alcamming surface on the-plunger when said piston `wallopeningis aligned with the reduced diameter of Ythebore when the vpiston is inred position, means for moving-,said piston to firing position whereby said piston wall Vopening will be alignedwith a larger diameter of the bore and said plunger will urge said ball stopoutwardly to Voverlie a shoulder in the casing wall and restrain said piston in ring position. l

,6; In a load andY fire mechanism of the character described a casing having .a bore provided withashoulder, a piston slidably mountedlin the casing bore and having a radially disposed opening therein, spring means normally urging the piston to fired position, Va latcbing plunger slide ably mounted in an inner bore provided in -the piston, a camming surface onthe plunger, spring means normally urging .the Yplunger out of the piston and stop means for holding the plunger Within the piston when in .fired position, said stop means comprising a ,ball positioned in the openingl in the piston wall and overlying the camming surface on the plunger, means for .simultaneously moving said piston, plunger and kball Ato firing position, said movement of the plunger aligning said Vpiston opening with the shoulderin the casing bore whereupon said plunger' spring means will move said plunger relative to the piston and cam said ball to a position overlying said shoulder whereby the piston .will be retained in its firing position. e

'7. Ina load and fire mechanism of the character described, a casing having a bore provided with an upwardly facingshoulder, a piston having an internal bore Atherein and an opening through the wall thereof, said piston being operably supported withinsaid casing bore and movable between ring position where said wall opening is in alignment with the upwardly facing shoulder of the casing bore and fired 'position where said opening is out of alignment with said shoulder, spring means normally tending to urge said piston to lred position, a bore positioned within said opening, a plunger within said piston bore movable between two positions and held in one position rby said bore when the piston is in fired position and spring means for moving said plunger to its second position when the piston is in ring position to cause said 4plunger to remove the bore through the opening to overlie saidupwardly 4facingshoulderand retain the pistonin rillgfposition. f

, v vEDWARD WILD. 

